Game process with mode of competition based on facial similarities

ABSTRACT

This invention is a method of conducting a competitive, interactive, multi-media game where the mode of competition is based on an individual&#39;s facial characteristics most closely resembling the facial characteristics of a randomly drawn composite picture, wherein the composite picture is drawn by randomly selecting facial features from a database of facial features. Using a computer database of facial features (head shapes, eyes, eyebrows, noses, mouths, hair, and the like), a composite picture of a face is generated by randomly choosing one facial feature at a time. Once a composite picture is generated, the competition begins. The objective of the competitive game is to find the “real life” person (or being) who looks the most like the generated composite picture in a predetermined amount of time.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 61/336,279 filed Jan. 20, 2010, in which the contents of said application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the technical field of Games. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of multi-media, interactive, competitive Games.

Internet Games, television Game Shows and Reality Contests are very popular forms of entertainment in the technologically advanced societies of the world. The factor that gives each game its novelty is the mode of competition that is involved in the game. In some games the mode of competition is to correctly answer more questions than the opponent(s). In other games the contestant must sing or dance better than the opponent(s); or complete an obstacle course in a faster time than their opponent(s). While prior art reveals that there are patents for methods of competitive games with various modes of competition, there are none with the mode of competition brought forth in this patent application. It is the mode of competition that establishes the game's novelty.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,462,104 issued on Dec. 9, 2008 to Christopher Di Cesare, is one example of a method for conducting an interactive competition, but the mode of competition of this game, as well as all other games found, is very different from the mode of competition in the proposed competitive game.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,731,302 issued on May 4, 2004 to Pierre Cote, provides a method and apparatus for creating composite facial images from a database of facial features. The apparatus brought forth by Cote could be used in the proposed patent to provide composite facial images, however Cote proposes no association of the composite facial images in a competitive game in his patent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a method (or process) for conducting a game with a novel mode of competition. Using a computer database of facial features including various head shapes, various eyes, various eyebrows, various noses, various mouths, various hair, and the like, a composite picture of a face is generated by randomly choosing one facial feature at a time, just as police sketch artists draw composite faces of suspects. Once a composite picture is generated, the competition begins. The mode of competition for this game is to find the “real life” person who looks the most like the generated composite picture in a predetermined amount of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an example of a random head shape chosen from a database of multiple head shapes.

FIG. 2 is an example of a random set of ears chosen from a database of multiple ears.

FIG. 3 is an example of the head shape of FIG. 1 and the ears of FIG. 2 joined together.

FIG. 4 is an example of a random chin chosen from a database of multiple chins.

FIG. 5 is an example of the chin of FIG. 4 added to the picture of the head shape and ears of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an example of a random nose chosen from a database of multiple noses.

FIG. 7 is an example of the nose of FIG. 6 added into the picture of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is an example of a random mouth chosen from a database of multiple mouths.

FIG. 9 is an example of the mouth of FIG. 8 added into the picture of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is an example of a random pair of eyes chosen from a database of multiple pairs of eyes.

FIG. 11 is an example of the pair of eyes of FIG. 10 added into the picture of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is an example of a random pair of eyebrows chosen from a database of multiple eyebrows.

FIG. 13 is an example of the pair of eyebrows of FIG. 12 added into the picture of FIG. 11.

FIG. 14 is an example of a random hairline chosen from a database of multiple hairlines.

FIG. 15 is an example of the hairline of FIG. 14 added into the picture of FIG. 13, resulting in a composite picture of a complete face.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the invention in more detail, the method of conducting the competitive game is a two-step process. Step 1 is to draw a composite picture of a face using a pre-established database of facial features including, but not limited to head shapes, ears, chins, noses, mouths, eyes, eyebrows and the like, representing the variety of ethnic features in society. Step 2 is the competition to locate the “real life” person who looks the most like the composite picture within a predetermined amount of time.

Referring now to Step 1 in more detail, a database of multiple facial features is needed in order to be able to randomly select the different features to combine into various composite pictures of a face. There must be multiple noses, multiple eyes, multiple mouths, etc. The database of facial features can be generated in various ways including, but not limited to, hand drawing or computer generated graphics. Computer software programs currently exist that have a database of facial features as well as the computer coding to blend the facial features into a composite picture of a face. Law enforcement agencies use this type of software to draw composite pictures of suspected criminals from victim's descriptions. One such existing software is sold under the brand name of FACES (www.facesid.com) and is in conjunction with U.S. Pat. No. 6,731,302 issued on May 4, 2004 to Pierre Cote mentioned above.

Referring still to Step 1, the process of drawing the composite picture is demonstrated step by step from FIG. 1 to FIG. 15.

FIG. 1 is an example of a random head shape 20 chosen from a database of multiple head shapes.

FIG. 2 is an example of a random set of ears 21 chosen from a database of multiple ears.

FIG. 3 is an example of the head shape 20 of FIG. 1 joined with the ears 21 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an example of a random chin 22 chosen from a database of multiple chins.

FIG. 5 is an example of the chin 22 of FIG. 4 added to the picture of the head shape 20 and ears 21 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an example of a random nose 23 chosen from a database of multiple noses.

FIG. 7 is an example of the nose 23 of FIG. 6 added into the picture of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is an example of a random mouth 24 chosen from a database of multiple mouths.

FIG. 9 is an example of the mouth 24 of FIG. 8 added into the picture of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is an example of a random pair of eyes 25 chosen from a database of multiple pairs of eyes.

FIG. 11 is an example of the pair of eyes 25 of FIG. 10 added into the picture of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is an example of a random pair of eyebrows 26 chosen from a database of multiple eyebrows.

FIG. 13 is an example of the pair of eyebrows 26 of FIG. 12 added into the picture of FIG. 11.

FIG. 14 is an example of a random hairline 27 chosen from a database of multiple hairlines.

FIG. 15 is an example of the hairline 27 of FIG. 14 added into the picture of FIG. 13, resulting in a composite picture made up of a head shape 20, ears 21, chin 22, nose 23, mouth 24, eyes 25, eyebrows 26, and hairline 27.

Referring now to Step 2 in more detail, after the composite picture is drawn, the competition begins to find the “real life” person who looks the most like the composite picture. Upon observing the drawn composite picture, whether in person or via electronic means including, but not limited to, television, internet, cellular telephones and the like, members of the viewing audience begin submitting pictures of potential “look-a-likes”. These pictures can be submitted in various means including, but not limited to, hand delivery, mail, email, website uploads, cellular telephone uploads and the like.

Still referring to Step 2 in more detail, submissions for potential “look-a-likes” will come to an end after a predetermined amount of time including, but not limited to a day, a week, a month, etc.

Still referring to Step 2 in more detail, the submitted pictures will then be analyzed to determine which picture looks the most like the composite picture. This can be done through various means including, but not limited to, an individual judge, a panel of judges, an online voting panel of all who submitted pictures, etc., or by the use of existing technology such as facial image search software or any other technology whether currently in existence or any technology that may be developed in the future.

Referring to the invention in further detail, there could be multiple categories of “winners”. Category A “winner” could obviously be the person who looks the most like the composite picture. Category B “winner” could be the first person to send in a picture of the “winner” of category A. To explain this further, if multiple people sent in pictures of the same person who was chosen as the “winner” of category A, the one who was first to send in the picture would be the “winner” of category B.

In further detail, the field of play for this competition could be any geographic area including but not limited to, a particular zip code, county, city, state, country, continent or the world as a whole. For example, the competition could be carried out with the stated boundaries being that the “winner(s)” would be limited to those people living in Hillsborough County, Florida, or in the state of Florida, or in the country of the United States of America, or in the country of Japan, or on the continent of Asia, or in the world, etc.

Still referring to the invention in further detail, the most likely contestants would be humans, but the same method could be used to carry out a competitive game for animals. To explain further, a composite picture could be drawn from random characteristics of the facial features of dogs (head shape, eyes, nose, ears, spots, fur length, etc). The competition would be the same as described above for humans.

The advantages of the present invention include, without limitation, a novel moe of competition. In all of the games in existence in current society, there does not appear to be any that use facial similarity to a randomly drawn composite picture as the mode of competition. This mode of competition literally allows every person in the field of play a chance to be the “winner” of the game because the “winner” is chosen due to physical attributes rather than abilities.

In broad embodiment, the present invention is a multi-media game with the mode of competition being facial similarity to a randomly drawn composite picture.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention. 

1. A process for conducting a multi-media, interactive, competitive game in which a composite face is drawn by randomly selecting facial features from a database of various head shapes, various eyes, various noses, various mouths, various chins, various eyebrows and various hair styles and then declaring the winner to be the discovered “real life” individual whose facial features are chosen, by a judging system, within a predetermined amount of time, to most closely match the composite face along, with a second winner being the individual who discovered the aforementioned winner.
 2. The process of claim 1 wherein the database of facial features can be obtained from various sources including but not limited to hand drawn pictures or preexisting computer software, such as is used by law enforcement personnel to draw composite faces of criminals or any technology photographic technology which allows the isolation of facial features from a photograph.
 3. The process of claim 1 wherein the drawn composite picture is displayed to the audience through some form of publicity including but not limited to a private home audience, a computer internet audience, a television audience, a billboard audience and the like.
 4. The process of claim 1 wherein the participating viewers observe the drawn composite face to determine if they themselves may resemble the drawn face or if they know anyone who looks like the composite face.
 5. The process of claim 1 wherein viewers submit photographs of anyone they think resembles the drawn composite picture to the contest judging system.
 6. The process of claim 1 wherein the submissions are no longer accepted after a predetermined amount of time and a decision is made by the judging system as to the one submission who looks the most like the drawn composite picture.
 7. The process of claim 1 wherein there would be two winners announced comprised of the one chosen that most closely resembles the composite picture and the person who submitted that photograph. 